Information warfare (3)
Angel.
A representative of faith who comes down to earth to perform miracles on behalf of a god who finds it difficult to directly project his power into the lower world.
‘Huh, an angel?’
‘You weren’t human from the beginning. I was just wondering···.’
The Pantheon executives gathered in the conference room tried to gather their wits and gazed at the transcendental figure that exuded an overwhelming presence right before their eyes.
The words of such a being had a more powerful persuasive power than anything else.
Of course, there was no law that said angels couldn’t lie, but wasn’t this a place governed by the law that only enforced the truth as laid out by the chairman?
‘It’s not that I forcibly ignored the ability by force. The author definitely told only the truth.’
The chairman could intuitively tell that fact.
And above all, they were priests who served the god and were among the strongest in the entire pantheon, so they knew very well what the angel who had just revealed his identity had done.
‘A sacred oath of one’s faith.’
I witnessed that moment with my own eyes, so there was no way I could not believe it.
If what he said just now was a lie, that angel would have lost all of his divine powers and fallen into corruption.
Naturally, the situation was bound to lead in a direction different from the original purpose.
From a place to investigate suspicious acts that violate rules, to a place to hold a countermeasure meeting led by the target.
‘You’re more obedient than I thought. I guess this is the best method for priests, after all.’
Heinrich nodded slightly as he saw the steering committee members listening to his words.
No matter how different the gods they worship, they are also seekers walking the path of faith.
There weren’t many who could stand before the messenger of God.
‘···Not all priests have that kind of disposition.’
Aren’t the beings that are currently being talked about the most as a clear example?
Pandemonium.
Although they were commonly called ‘followers of the evil god’, they were not simply worshippers of an ominous god seeking destruction.
Fanatics who are self-righteous and arrogant, armed with extreme ideas that their faith is the ‘true’ one and everything else is mere heresy.
So those who insisted that the world should be purified through the temple were also part of the axis that constituted pandemonium.
‘That’s also the reason why they can’t easily come together and exist as a sect. If they meet, they won’t be able to tolerate each other and will fight.’
Because they were unable to unite, Pandemonium had long since become a convenient hunting dog for the Bancheonhoe to manipulate at will.
Compared to you, the Pantheon was a nobleman.
First of all, the common basic rules themselves start with recognizing and accepting other religious groups as equal beings.
‘In a way, you could say that the current situation was a predictable result. It’s only natural that various loopholes will arise as the barriers to entry are lowered for inclusion.’
Fortunately, their hands did not reach the Council of Twelve, which could be called the leadership of the Pantheon.
No… To be exact, the secretary had risen to that position, but naturally lost his influence as he was dealt with by his own hands.
If she had still been there, things wouldn’t have been so easy.
‘After all, people should live well, right?’
Heinrich smiled with satisfaction.
Looking at the operating committee members talking with serious expressions in front.
***
Just after hours of talks with Pantheon leadership.
“Ah! Brother Heinrich! It took longer than I thought. How is it, and how did you finish your business?”
The one who greeted Heinrich as he came out of the committee hall was Father Jason, who had supported him throughout his trip to the Pantheon.
Since Heinrich had not yet officially joined the Pantheon, he had some limitations in moving on his own, so he, who had been with them the longest, volunteered to be their guide.
“There was a minor misunderstanding, but it’s all resolved now.”
Heinrich nodded as if it was no big deal, a soft smile on his lips.
Then she glanced at him and opened her mouth.
“Come to think of it, Father Jason said you were from the Tamaria dimension.”
“Yes. I think I mentioned it in passing, but you remembered.”
People passing by glanced at the two people walking and talking.
To be exact, it was like seeing Heinrich with silver hair and golden eyes.
Because he appeared so noisily, I couldn’t help but become aware of his presence.
“I heard that there is a fierce religious war there. The two major religious groups are fiercely fighting each other without giving an inch to the other.”
“That’s right. There is a holy war going on between our cult of Lasus and the followers of the evil god Lucieni.”
“What if the followers of that evil spirit come to Earth…”
“Huh, that’s right. I’m currently in Pandemonium. I fell for the devil’s trick and returned to Earth without coming to my senses. How pitiful that is.”
Father Jason clenched his fists in indignation.
As if I truly feel sorry for those who devote their body and soul to evil spirits.
“···I think so too. You’ve gone through all sorts of hardships to survive until now, and now you’re being used like a puppet without even realizing it.”
Both men sighed at the same time.
Although the objects they referred to were slightly different, their meanings were not that different.
“But why are you suddenly asking that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
While we were walking and talking like that.
Several people began to appear waiting in front of Heinrich’s assigned quarters.
“I just… I wish you would stop bothering me and just disappear.”
The priests from Auterica were busy receiving orders from him.
Heinrich, who was looking at them with sunken eyes, continued speaking in a soft voice.
“With the followers of that evil spirit.”
Then she stopped walking and gave Jason a bright smile.
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“And the masterminds behind it all.”
It was a smile that seemed somehow cold, as if personal feelings were seeping through it.
***
A few days later.
One day, there was a calm like the calm before a storm.
“Wait a minute! What the hell are you doing! I’m Sandro from the Fisker Order! Do you think our Order will let you do something like this?!”
It started suddenly.
Without any warning, a storm shook the entire Pantheon.
“Sandro Fermi. You are suspected of colluding with Pandemonium on multiple occasions, starting with the murder of Rabin Williams three years ago.”
“···What the hell are you talking about? You’re suddenly framing me like this? There’s no way I would’ve killed that guy who was my friend! ···Oh? I get it. You guys, you’re planning to use me as an excuse to destroy our church!”
“There’s no point in pretending. We’ve already secured the evidence and verified it. Do you really need to mention the names of all the priests who were murdered because of the information you sold?”
“···It’s no use trying to fool me with lies! You dirty bastards! You dogs of the committee who only want to fill your own stomach!”
Of course, there was no one who readily admitted to the charges.
Rather, they shamelessly raise their voices, saying that the Pantheon Steering Committee is attempting to tame its affiliated denominations.
But that resistance didn’t last long.
“······.”
Because in the face of undeniable evidence that was impossible to escape, there was nothing I could do but exercise my right to remain silent.
When the situation got to that point, there was nothing the religious community, which was their supporters, could do.
It wasn’t for nothing that the operating committee had kept quiet until now after hearing Heinrich’s story.
They not only cross-checked the information provided about the defectors, but also succeeded in uncovering additional crimes.
For security reasons, we do not hesitate to go to the trouble of personally going out and taking only a very small number of people we can truly trust.
“I’ve devoted so much effort to the church! And you’re trying to throw me away over something like this?!”
“Damn, how did you notice? The aftermath was perfect.”
“This is a mistake. We will disperse immediately, break away, and reunite at point B!”
in result.
We were able to achieve the result of arresting a large number of people, including those who directly communicated with Pandemonium and those who used them for personal gain.
Since it was a life-or-death operation involving the entire committee, there was not the slightest impediment to the progress of the work.
‘Indeed… It’s true that it seemed sloppy all this time.’
When I was just lazy and inactive like a lion, I didn’t really feel it, but once I made up my mind and started moving in earnest, I was able to fully demonstrate the aspects of a world-class organization.
It was a short period of time, but it was amazing to see how they were able to create a more perfect trap by adding additional research to information that had some holes in it.
‘Now that this has happened, we can expect more active midnight self-purification in the future. Even just that much could greatly reduce the number of people who come to play at the Bancheonhoe.’
One thing that was somewhat surprising as I watched this incident unfold was that those who sympathized with Pandemonium didn’t necessarily have grand reasons for it.
Of course, there were cases where people moved based on their own convictions and the belief that it would be more helpful to the church, but that wasn’t necessarily the case.
‘I guess they were aiming for that aspect from the beginning and digging into this area.’
Envy, jealousy, desire, wealth and fame, the vested interests of the organization, etc.
They were priests in name only, but they were also human, and they were easily swayed by that trick.
The main reason this was possible was because this work was completely separate from their faith.
Going along with Pandemonium did not mean losing one’s faith or going against the teachings of the sect.
Because in the first place, there was no such content in their doctrine.
Within the fence called Pantheon, fighting against the external enemy called Pandemonium was merely a promise made among the humans of Earth, and had nothing to do with the gods of another world they believed in.
It was the same from God’s point of view.
In the first place, even the distinction between good and evil spirits was made by humans according to their own standards.
Most gods simply granted their believers the divine powers they deserved.
In particular, many people involved in this incident were discovered in religious groups that are midway between good and evil.
Among them, there were those who came forward with the true belief that it was for the good of the church.
In every organization—there are so-called hardliners.
A fanatic who cannot accept that he has been pushed out of the mainstream faction and reduced to just one of many religious sects on the limited stage called Pantheon, and is determined to revive the sect by any means necessary.
“It’s been a while.”
“Ugh, Heinrich···!”
For example, like Walter, a saintly warrior of the Order of Quiladia.
“I should be grateful to you. If it weren’t for our first meeting back then, I wouldn’t have felt anything strange.”
“Wh, what are you talking about···.”
Walter frowned and let out a questioning sound, but Heinrich had no intention of answering him kindly.
The only reason I came here was to check for any traces of him being used by someone.
‘···also.’
And Heinrich, who had been staring intently into his opponent’s eyes, was finally able to find the trace he had been looking for deep within them.
A trace so minute that even you wouldn’t notice it if you hadn’t been suspicious and observed it closely.
If I hadn’t gotten crucial information from the doctor and had not gained confidence through the subsequent verification by his subordinates, I would not have been able to figure it out until the end.
“I’m asking you what you’re talking about!”
Did she feel some kind of pressure from Heinrich, who was just staring at her without saying anything?
Walter, who seemed to have lost his self-control and was excited, rushed forward violently, but there was no way he could do anything now that he had already been beaten to death once.
“Cough!”
Heinrich looked at him indifferently as he lay on the ground, struggling, and then immediately turned around.
There was no need to do anything more here.
Even if you don’t do anything, the Pantheon’s executive force that is coming here right now will take care of the rest.
“···Ouch, then let’s take a look at each other’s faces.”
A platinum-colored divine power blazing from his entire body.
Then, as I widened my scope to its maximum, I soon caught a sound.
In this Pantheon, where various divine powers were constantly swirling, it was nearly impossible to distinguish even a single presence, but to him, such difficulties were nothing more than a matter of concern.
His body rushed forward quickly.
***
A loud noise coming from afar.
Father Jason, who had been walking busily towards him, frowned.
“Huh, what the heck is going on.”
The entire Pantheon was thrown into confusion by the sudden incident.
Of course, since the Pantheon was strictly a federation, it prioritized moderate means such as requests for cooperation over the reckless use of force, but that alone was enough to cause headaches for each religious sect.
Because in a situation where the evidence was clear, I couldn’t just protect them because they were my family.
“Tsk tsk tsk, there isn’t a single day when the wind is blowing well. There isn’t even enough time to devote my body and mind to God.”
Jason clicked his tongue, stroking his short beard.
Then he shook his head and walked down the dark hallway again.
Whatever was happening outside didn’t really have anything to do with him.
All he had to do was continue his religious life as he always had.
While I was thinking about my own work and not caring about outside things.
He was able to encounter an unexpected person at the end of the hallway.
“Father Jason.”
“No, aren’t you Brother Heinrich? What brings you here?”
He opened his eyes wide and looked at the other person.
A man whose face seemed to glow… no, he actually gave off a halo, giving off a mysterious aura that made him seem like he wasn’t from this world.
“I came to see you.”
Heinrich opened his mouth slowly.
In a voice that was clearly cold, without any trace of the moderation that had existed until now.
“joker.”
He is the spy of the Bancheonhoe who hid in this Pantheon and deceived everyone from beginning to end, plotting a secret plan.
At the same time, a follower of the evil god of Pandemonium.
“······.”
The Joker met Heinrich’s gaze with a blank expression on his face.
